Portsmouth vs MK Dons Preview

Pompey will be looking to bounce back from a dismal result at Oldham on Saturday with a good performance against MK Dons tomorrow evening.

Team News

Sam Sodje is banned after his sneaky rabbit punches got him sent off at Oldham and so Ricardo Rocha will replace him. Guy Whittingham and Andy Awford have no new injury concerns although Shaun Cooper is still sidelined.

Izale McLeod will return to Fratton Park for the first time since leaving Pompey as a Dons player but may not start the match ahead of Ryan Lowe. Goalkeeper David Martin and centre back Gary MacKenzie are injury doubts whilst Alan Smith is serving a suspension.

The Match

Saturday's defeat at Boundary Park was dreadful. The players worked hard enough but there was no quality in the forward play and the defence always looked vulnerable.

I can't understand why the management sees the need to make constant changes to the team. A little bit of continuity would see an improvement, you would think.

In the event that Pompey do play well tomorrow night there is a fair chance of a result against an out-of-sorts Milton Keynes side.

Portsmouth may well be bottom of the form table in League One but MK Dons are 23rd in that table and their squad is ravaged with injury. So perhaps tomorrow will be a good night to play them?

However, the "former player" factor is bound to play a part. McLeod may have been lazy, had a poor first touch and had terrible in the air when he played for the blues but he was still by far and away our best goalscorer.

The fact that he has been woeful since his return to Milton Keynes will only convince me further that he will open his account against his former employers, especially after scoring against them at stadium:mk earlier in the season.

It should be an interesting game. Let's hope the management sticks with a settled side and goes for the win. That way we might get a draw!

Predicted Starting Line-Ups

Pompey

GK: Simon EASTWOOD

RB: Yassin MOUTAOUAKIL

CB: Gabor GYEPES

CB: Ricardo ROCHA

LB: Dan BUTLER

RM: Adam REED

CM: Johnny ERTL

CM: Therry RACON

LM: Jed WALLACE

CF: James KEENE

CF: Patrick AGYEMANG

MK Dons

GK: David MARTIN

RB: Adam CHICKSEN

CB: Gary McKENZIE

CB: Anthony KAY

LB: Dean LEWINGTON

RM: Darren POTTER

CM: Ryan HARLEY

CM: Daniel POWELL

LM: Luke CHADWICK

CF: Dean BOWDITCH

CF: Izale McLEOD

My Prediction

Unlike the reverse fixture, I can see this being a cagey affair with both teams not wanting to lose this game. However, the Dons' quality will probably see them edge this one and I'd put my house on McLeod to score the winner.